;^"^ 


#^ 


^iSS^t^htologicatj^ 


fm 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


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Presented    by    Ws.^X  C/\<2/r\-V    \^0\Wosr\ 

2ys^ 


Division 


REPORT. 


The  Committee  appointed  by  the  Presbytery  of  New  York, 
at  its  meeting  on  April  13,  1891,  to  consider  the  "Inaugural  Ad- 
dress "  of  Rev.  Charles  A.  Briggs,  D.D.,  in  its  relation  to  the 
Confession  of  Faith,  would  respectfully  report  as  follows  : 

The  Committee  was  appointed  in  pursuance  of  the  following 
action  of  Presbytery: 

"Whereas,  The  address  of  the  Rev.  Charles  A.  Brigg^s,  D.D.,  a 
member  of  this  Presbytery,  delivered  on  Monday  evening.  January  20, 1891, 
on  the  occasion  of  his  inauguration  as  the  'incumbent  of  the  Edward 
Robinson  Chair  of  Biblical  Theology'  in  (he  Union  Theological  Seminary 
(which  address  has  since  been  published  by  said  Seminary),  has  been  very 
generally  criticised  as  containing  statements  which  are  seemingly  contrary 
to  the  teaching  and  spirit  of  our  Confession  of  Faith  ;  and 

Whereas,  This  address  has  also  been  actually  made  the  occasion 
of  complaint  to  the  General  Assembly  by  at  least  four  Presbyteries; 
therefore, 

Resolved,  That  a  committee  consisting  of  seven  persons  be  appointed, 
to  which  the  said  address  shall  be  referred  for  careful  consideration,  with 
instructions  to  report  at  the  meeting  in  May  what  action,  if  any,  be  appro- 
priate in  relation  thereto." 

The  Committee  regrets  to  report  the  resignation  of  Rev. 
Henry  Vandyke,  D.D. 

In  obedience  to  the  resolution  of  appointment  by  which  the 
investigation  was  to  be  limited  to  an  inquiry  whether  or  not  any 
portion  of  the  "  inaugural  address "  delivered  by  Professor 
Charles  A.  Briggs,  D.D.,  on  January  20,  1891,  is  in  conflict  with 
the  Confession  of  Faith,  your  Committee  has  made  diligent  com- 
parison of  the  Confession  and  the  address.  After  making  due 
allowance  for  all  reasonable  latitude  of  interpretation  it  is 
believed  that  the  address  conflicts  with  the  Confession  in  the 
portions  herein  indicated. 

I. 

In  the  portion  entitled  "  The  Souices  of  Divive  Aut/ioiiiy," 
extending  from  the  bottom  of  page  24,  to  the  middle  of  page  28, 


the  Church,  the  Reason,  and  the  Bible  seem  to  be  regarded  as 
co-ordinate  "fountains"  of  Divine  Authority.    Thus: 

(a)  Page  34,  last  sentence:  "There  are  historically  three 
great  fountains  of  divine  authority — the  Bible,  the  Church,  and 
the  Reason." 

(<^)  Page  25,  lines  1-14  inclusive: 

"  (1)  The  Authority  of  the  Church.  The  majority  of  Chris- 
tians, from  the  apostolic  age,  have  found  God  through  the  Church. 
Martyrs  and  saints,  fathers  and  schoolmen,  the  profoundest 
intellects,  the  saintliest  lives,  have  had  this  experience. 
Institutional  Christianity  has  been  to  them  the  presence 
chamber  of  God.  They  have  therein  and  thereby  entered 
into  communion  with  all  saints.  It  is  difficult  for  many 
Protestants  to  regard  this  experience  as  any  other  than  pious 
illusion  and  delusion.  But  what  shall  we  say  of  a  modern  like 
Newman,  who  could  not  reach  certainty,  striving  never  so  hard, 
through  the  Bible  or  the  Reason,  but  who  did  find  divine  authority 
in  the  institutions  of  the  Church  ?  Shall  we  deny  it  because  it 
may  be  beyond  our  experience  ?  " 

{c)  Page  37,  lines  9-21  inclusive:  "  Martineau  could  not  find 
divine  authority  in  the  Church  or  the  Bible,  but  he  did  find  God 
enthroned  in  his  own  soul.  There  are  those  who  would  refuse 
these  Rationalists  a  place  in  the  company  of  the  faithful,  but  they 
forget  that  the  essential  thing  is  to  find  God  and  divine  certainty, 
and  if  these  men  have  found  God  without  the  mediation  of 
Church  and  Bible,  Church  and  Bible  are  means  and  not  ends; 
they  are  avenues  to  God  but  are  not  God.  We  regret  that  these 
Rationalists  depreciate  the  means  of  grace  so  essential  to  most 
of  us,  but  we  are  warned  lest  we  commit  a  similar  error,  and 
depreciate  the  Reason  and  the  Christian  consciousness." 

{d)  Page  28,  lines  1-18  inclusive:  "(3)  The  Authority  of 
Holy  Scripture. — We  have  examined  the  Church  and  the  Reason 
as  seats  of  divine  authority  in  an  introduction  to  our  theme,  the 
Authority  of  the  Scriptures,  because  they  open  our  eyes  to  see 
mistakes  that  are  common  to  the  three  departments.  Protestant 
Christianity  builds  its  faith  and  life  on  the  divine  authority  con- 
tained in  the  Scriptures,  and  too  often  depreciates  the  Church 
and  the  Reason.  Spurgeon  is  an  example  of  the  average  modern 
Evangelical  who  holds  the  Protestant  position   and  assails  the 


Church  and  Reason  in  the  interest  of  the  authority  of  Scripture. 
But  the  average  opinion  of  the  Christian  world  would  not  assign 
him  a  higher  place  in  the  kingdom  of  God  than  Martineau  or 
Newman.  May  we  not  conclude,  on  the  whole,  that  these  three 
representative  Christians  of  our  time,  living  in  or  near  the  world's 
metropolis,  have  each  in  his  way  found  God  and  rested  on  divine 
authority  ?" 

These  paragraphs,  in  the  judgment  of  the  Committee,  can- 
not be  reconciled  with  the  Confession,  Chapter  I,  Section  1, 
which  says  :  "Although  the  light  of  nature  and  the  works  of  crea- 
tion and  providence  do  so  far  manifest  the  goodness,  wisdom 
and  power  of  God  as  to  leave  men  inexcusable,  yet  are  they  not 
sufficient  to  give  that  knowledge  of  God  and  of  His  will  7vhich  is 
necessary  unto  salvation.  Therefore  it  pleased  the  Lord,  at  sundry 
times  and  in  divers  manners,  to  .reveal  Himself  and  to  declare 
that  His  will  unto  His  Church  ;  and  afterwards  for  the  better 
l)reserving  and  propagating  of  the  truth  and  for  the  more  sure 
establishment  and  comfort  of  the  Church  against  the  corruption 
of  the  flesh  and  the  malice  of  Satan  and  of  the  world,  to  com- 
mit the  same  wholly  unto  writing,  which  maketh  the  Holy  Scrip- 
ture to  be  jnost  necessary  ;  those  former  ways  of  God's  revealing 
His  will  unto  His  people  being  now  ceased." 

Also  with  Section  VI  (first  paragraph)  of  the  same  chapter, 
which  says  :  "  The  whole  counsel  of  God  concerning  all  things 
necessary  for  His  own  glory,  mans  salvation,  faith  and  life,  is 
either  expressly  set  down  in  Scripture  or  by  good  and  necessary  conr 
sequence  may  be  deduced  from  Scripture  ;  unto  which  nothing  at 
any  time  is  be  added  whether  by  new  revelations  of  the  Spirit 
or  traditions  of  men." 

Also  with  Section  X  of  Chapter  I,  which  says  :  "  The  Supreme 
Judge,  by  which  all  controversies  of  religion  are  to  be  deter- 
mined, and  all  decrees  of  councils,  opinions  of  ancient  writers, 
doctrines  of  men,  and  private  spirits  are  to  be  examined,  and  in 
whose  sentence  we  are  to  rest,  can  be  no  other  but  the  Holy  Spirit 
speaking  in  the  Scripture.^' 

II. 
The  portion  entitled  "  Inerrancy,"  beginning  with  the  last 
paragraph  on  page  34,  and  continuing  to  end  of  first  paragraph 
on  page  36,  contains  the  following  statements  ; 


Page  35,  lines  4-16  inclusive  :  "  I  shall  venture  to  affirm  that, 
so  far  as  I  can  see,  there  are  errors  in  the  Scriptures  that  no  one 
has  been  able  explain  away  ;  and  the  theory  that  they  were  not 
in  the  original  text  is  sheer  assumption  upon  which  no  mind 
can  rest  with  certainty.  If  such  errors  destroy  the  authority  of 
the  Bible  it  is  already  destroyed  for  historians.  Men  cannot 
shut  their  eyes  to  truth  and  fact.  But  on  what  authority  do 
these  theologians  drive  men  from  the  Bible  by  this  theory  of 
inerrancy  ?  The  Bible  itself  nowhere  makes  this  claim.  The 
creeds  of  the  Church  nowhere  sanction  it.  It  is  a  ghost  of 
modern  evangelicalism  to  frighten  children." 

The  denial  of  inerrancy  in  the  original  text  is  regarded  by 
your  Committee  as  conflicting  iireconcilably  with  the  Confession, 
Chapter  I,  Section  I,  which  says:  "  Therefore  it  pleased  the  Lord 
*  *  *  to  commit  the  same  wholly  unto  writing."  *  *  * 
Also  with  Section  II  of  the  same  chapter,  which  says:  "  Under  the 
name  of  Holy  Scripture,  or  the  word  of  God  written,  are  now 
contained  all  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  which 
are  these."  (Here  follows  the  complete  list  of  books  of  the  Old 
and  the  New  Testament.) 

Respecting  these  books  Section  II  says:  "  All  which  are  given 
by  inspiration  of  God  to  be  the  rule  of  faith  and  lite." 

Also  with  Section  IV  of  the  same  chapter,  which  says: 
*'  The  authority  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  for  which  it  ought  to  be 
believed  and  obeyed,  dependeth  not  upon  the  testimony  of  any 
man  or  Church,  but  wholly  upon  God  (who  is  truth  itself),  the 
author  thereof;  and  therefore  it  is  to  be  received  because  it  is  the 
Word  of  God." 

Also  with  Section  V  of  the  same,  which  says  :  "We  may  be 
moved  and  induced  by  the  testimony  of  the  Church  to  an  high 
and  reverent  esteem  for  the  Holy  Scripture  ;  and  the  heaven- 
liness  of  the  matter,  the  efficacy  of  the  doctrine,  the  majesty  of 
the  style,  the  consent  of  all  the  parts,  the  scope  of  the  whole 
(which  is  to  give  all  glory  to  God),  the  full  discovery  it  makes  of 
the  only  way  of  man's  salvation,  the  many  other  incomparable 
excellencies,  and  the  entire  perfection  thereof  are  arguments 
whereby  it  doth  abundantly  evidence  itself  to  be  the  word  of 
God  ;  yet  notwithstanding  our  full  persuasion  and  assurance  of 
the  infallible  truth,  and  divine  authority  thereof,  is  from  the  inward 


work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  bearing  witness  by  and  with  the  word  in 
our  hearts." 

Also  with  Section  VIII  of  the  same  chapter,  which  says  : 
"The  Old  Testainent  in  Hebrew,  (which  was  the  native 
language  of  the  people  of  God  of  old)  and  the  New  Testament 
in  Greek,  (which  at  the  time  of  the  writing  of  it  was  most  gen- 
erally known  to  the  nations),  being  immediately  inspired  by  God, 
and  by  His  singular  care  and  providence,  kept  pure  in  all  ages, 
are  therefore  authentical;  so  as  in  all  controversies  of  religion  the 
Church  is  finally  to  appeal  unto  them." 

As  well  as  with  Section  X  of  the  same  chapter  : 
"The  Supreme  Judge,  by  which  all  controversies  of  religion 
are  to  be  determined,  and  all  decrees  of  councils,  opinions  of 
ancient  writers,  doctrines  of  men  and  private  spirits  are  to  be 
examined,  and  in  whose  sentence  we  are  to  rest,  can  be  no  other 
but  the  Holy  Spirit  speaking  in  the  Scripture!' 

III. 

The  portion  under  redemption  marked  (^)  beginning  with 
the  last  paragraph  on  page  53,  and  continuing  to  the  close  of  the 
first  paragraph  on  page  55,  contains  the  following  statement  : 

(a)  Page  53,  last  three  lines,  and  page  54,  lines  1-6  inclusive  : 
"Another  fault  of  Protestant  theology  is  in  its  limitation  of  the 
process  of  redemption  to  this  world  and  its  neglect  of  those  vast 
periods  of  time  which  have  elapsed  for  most  men  in  the  Middle 
State  between  death  and  the  resurrection.  The  Roman  Catholic 
Church  is  firmer  here,  though  it  smears  the  biblical  doctrine 
with  not  a  few  hurtful  errors.  The  reaction  against  this  limita- 
tion as  seen  in  the  theory  of  second  probation  is  not  surprising." 

(J))  Page  54,  lines  12-14  inclusive  :  "  There  is  no  authority 
in  the  Scriptures  or  in  the  creeds  of  Christendom,  for  the  doc- 
trine of  immediate  sanctification  at  death." 

(f)  Page  54,  lines  14-31  inclusive,  and  page  55,  lines  1-0 
inclusive  :  "  The  only  sanctification  known  to  experience,  to 
Christian  orthodoxy  and  to  the  Bible,  is  progressive  sanctifica- 
tion. Progressive  sanctification  after  death  is  the  doctrine  of 
the  Bible  and  the  Church  ;  and  it  is  of  vast  importance  in  our 
times  that  we  should  understand  it  and  live  in  accordance  with 
it.     The   bugbear  of  a  judgment  immediately  after  death   and 


the  illusion  of  a  magical  transformation  in  the  dying  hour 
should  be  banished  from  the  world.  They  are  conceits  derived 
from  the  Ethnic  religions,  and  without  basis  in  the  Bible  or 
Christian  experience  as  expressed  in  the  symbols  of  the  Church. 
The  former  makes  death  a  terror  to  the  best  of  men,  the  latter 
makes  human  life  and  experience  of  no  effect  ;  and  both  cut 
the  nerves  of  Christian  activity  and  striving  after  sanctification. 
Renouncing  them  as  hurtful  unchristian  errors  we  look  with 
hope  and  joy  for  the  continuation  of  the  processes  of  grace  and 
the  wonders  of  redemption  in  the  company  of  the  blessed,  to 
which  the  faithful  are  all  hastening  ;  and  through  these  blessed 
hopes  we  enter  into  the  communion  of  all  saints  and  have  a 
happy  consciousness  of  the  one  holy  catholic  Church,  whose 
center  and  majestic  frame  are  chiefly  in  the  skies,  the  one  body 
of  the  one  Christ." 

Your  Committee  regard  the  statements  made  in  these  quo- 
ations  as  irreconcilable  with  the  Confession,  Chapter  XXXII, 
Section  I,  which  says:  "  The  bodies  of  men  after  death  return 
to  dust  and  see  corruption;  but  their  souls  (which  neither  die  nor 
sleep),  having  an  immortal  subsistence,  immediately  return  to 
God  who  gave  them.  The  souls  of  the  righteous,  being  then  made 
perfect  in  holiness,  are  received  into  the  highest  heavens  where  they 
behold  the  face  of  God  in  light  and  glory,  waiting  for  the  full  redenip  - 
tion  of  their  bodies  ;  and  the  souls  of  the  wicked  are  cast  into  hell, 
where  they  remain  in  torments  and  utter  darkness  reserved  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  great  day.  Besides  these  two  places  for  souls  separated 
from  their  bodies  the  Scripture  acknowledgeth  none." 

Also  with  Chapter  XIII,  Section  II,  which  says  :  "This  sanc- 
tification is  throughout  in  the  whole  man,  yet  imperfect  in  this 
life;  there  abideth  still  some  remnants  of  corruption  in  every  part, 
whence  ariseth  a  continual  and  irreconcilable  war,  the  flesh 
lusting  against  the  Spirit  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh." 

The  Committee  therefore  recommends  that  the  Presbytery 
enter  at  once  upon  the  judicial  investigation  of  the  case. 

G.  W.  F.  Birch, 
J.  F.  Forbes, 
J.  J.  Lampe, 
J.  J.  Stevenson 


APPENDIX. 


Exhibit  I.— CONFESSION. 

CHAPTER  I. 

OF   THE   HOLY    SCRIPTURE. 

Although  the  light  of  nature,  and 
the  works  of  creation  and  providence, 
do  so  far  manifest  the  goodness,  wis- 
dom, and  power  of  God,  as  to  leave  men 
inexcusable  ;  yet  are  they  not  sufficient 
to  give  that  knowledge  of  God,  and  of 
His  will,  which  is  necessary  unto  sal- 
vation ;  therefore  it  pleased  the  Lord, 
at  sundry  times,  and  in  divers  man- 
ners, to  reveal  Himself,  and  to  declare 
that  His  will  unto  His  Church  ;  and 
afterwards  for  the  better  preserving 
and  propagating  of  the  truth,  and  for 
the  more  sure  establishment  and  com- 
fort of  the  Church  against  the  corrup- 
tion of  the  flesh,  and  the  malice  of 
Satan  and  of  the  world,  to  commit  the 
same  wholly  unto  writing;  which 
maketh  the  Holy  Scripture  to  be  most 
necessary  ;  those  former  ways  of  God's 
revealing  His  will  unto  His  people  be- 
ing now  ceased. 

X .  The  Supreme  Judge,  by  which 
all  controversies  of  religion  are  to  be 
determined,  and  all  decrees  of  councils, 
opinions  of  ancient  writers,  doctrines 
of  men,  and  private  spirits,  are  to  be 
examined,  and  in  -whose  sentence  we 
are  to  rest,  can  be  no  other  but  the 
Holy  Spirit  speaking  in  the  Scripture. 


Exhibit  I.-ADDRESS. 

Pages  24-28. 

1. — THE  SOURCES   OF  DIVINE 
AUTHORITY. 

It  is  the  testimony  of  human  ex- 
perience in  all  ages  that  God  mani- 
fests Himself  to  men  and  gives 
certainty  of  His  presence  and  au- 
thority. There  are  historically  three 
great  fountains  of  divine  authority — 
the  Bible,  the  Church,  and  the  Reason. 

(i.)  The  Authority  of  the  Church.— 
The  viajority  of  Christians  from  the 
apostolic  age  have  found  God  through 
the  Church.  Martyrs  and  saints, 
fathers  and  schoolmen,  the  profoundest 
intellects,  the  saintliest  lives,  have  had 
this  experience.  Institutional  Chris- 
tianity ha  r  been  to  them  the  presence- 
chamber  of  God.  They  have  therein 
and  thereby  entered  into  communion 
with  all  saints.  It  is  difficult  for 
fnany  Protestants  to  regard  this  expe- 
rience as  any  other  than  pious  illusion 
and  delusion.  But  what  shall  we  say 
of  a  modern  like  Newman,  who  could 
not  reach  certainty,  striving  never  so 
hard,  through  the  Bible  or  the  Reason, 
but  who  did  find  divine  authority  in 
the  institutions  of  the  Church  ?  Shall 
we  deny  it  because  it  may  be  beyond 
our  experience?  H  we  have  not  seen 
God  in  institutional  Christianity,  it 
is  because  the  Cliurch  and  ils  insti- 
tutions have  so  enveloped  them- 
selves to  us  with  human  conceits 
and  follies.  Divine  authority  has 
been  so  encased  in  the  authority  of 
popes   and    councils,    prelates   and 


priests,  ecclesiastics  and  theolo- 
gians, that  multitudes  have  been 
unable  to  discern  it  ;  and  these 
mediators  of  redemption  have  so 
obtruded  themselves  in  the  way  of 
devout  seekers  after  God  that  they 
could  not  find  God.  Plain,  com- 
mon people  have  not  been  offended 
so  much  b}^  this  state  of  things, 
because  they  are  accustomed  in  all 
denominations  to  identify  the  au- 
thority of  God  with  the  authority  of 
priest  and  pastor,  as  a  child  identi- 
fies the  authority  of  the  parent  with 
the  authority  of  God  ;  and  men  of 
deep  spiritual  insight  may  be  able 
to  force  their  way  through  these 
obstructions,  and  find  God  in  spite 
of  them.  But  to  men  of  the  tem- 
perament and  environment  of  the 
average  educated  Protestant  such  an 
experience  is  difficult,  if  not  impos- 
sible. Nevertheless,  the  Church  is 
a  seat  of  divine  authority,  and  the 
multitudes  of  pious  souls  in  the 
present  and  the  past  have  not  been 
mistaken  in  their  experience  when 
they  have  found  God  in  the  Church. 
(2.)  The  Authority  of  the  Reason. — 
Another  means  used  by  God  to 
make  Himself  known  is  the  forms 
of  the  Reason,  using  Reason  in  a 
broad  sense  to  embrace  the  meta- 
physical categories,  the  conscience 
and  the  religious  feeling.  Here,  in 
the  Holy  of  Holies  of  human  nature, 
God  presents  Himself  to  those  who 
seek  Him.  The  vast  multitude  of 
men  are  guided  by  God  through 
the  forms  of  the  Reason,  without 
their  having  any  consciousness  of 
His  presence  or  guidance.  There 
are  few  who  are  able  to  rise  by 
reflection  into  the  higher  conscious- 
ness of  God.  These  few  are  of  the 
mystic  type  of  religion  ;    the   men 


who  have  been  the  prophets  of 
mankind,  the  founders  of  religions, 
the  leaders  of  Revivals  and  Reform- 
ations, who,  conscious  of  the  divine 
presence  within  them,  and  certain 
of  His  guidance,  lead  on  confi- 
dently in  the  paths  of  divine  Provi- 
dence. Such  men  have  appeared 
in  all  ages  of  the  world.  Some  of 
them  have  been  the  leaders  of 
thought  in  modern  times  in  Great 
Britain,  Germany,  and  America. 
We  ought  not  to  be  surprised  that 
they  should  depreciate  the  Bible 
and  the  Church  as  merely  external 
modes  of  finding  God,  for  even  the 
prophets  of  the  Bible  attach  little 
importance  to  the  institutions  of 
Israel,  and  seldom  mention  them, 
except  to  warn  against  their  misuse. 

It  may  be  that  these  modern 
thinkers  have  a  divine  calling  to 
withdraw  men  from  mere  priest- 
craft, ceremonialism,  dead  ortho- 
doxy and  ecclesiasticism,  and  con- 
centrate their  attention  on  the 
essentials  of  the  Christian  religion. 

Martineau  could  not  find  divine 
authority  in  the  Church  or  the  Bible, 
but  he  did  find  God  enthroned  iyi  his 
own  soul.  There  are  those  who  xvould 
refuse  these  Rationalists  a  place  in  the 
company  of  the  faithful.  But  they 
forget  that  the  essential  thing  is  to 
find  God  and  divine  certainty,  and 
if  these  men  have  found  God  with- 
out the  mediation  of  Church  and 
Bible,  Church  and  Bible  are  means 
and  not  ends;  they  are  avenues  to 
God,  but  are  not  God.  We  regret 
that  these  Rationalists  depreciate  the 
means  of  grace  so  essential  to  most  of 
us,  but  we  are  warned  lest  we  commit 
a  similar  error,  and  depreciate  the 
Reason  and  the  Christian  conscious- 
ness. 


10 


(3.)  The  Authority  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture.—  We  have  examined  the  Church 
and  the  Reason  as  seats  of  divine 
authority  in  an  introduction  to  our 
theme,  the  Authority  of  the  Scriptures, 
because  they  open  our  eyes  to  see  mis- 
takes that  are  common  to  the  three 
departments.  Protestant  Christianity 
builds  its  faith  and  life  on  the  divine 
authority  contained  in  the  Scriptures, 
and  too  often  depreciates  the  Church 
and  the  Reason.  Spurgeon  is  an 
example  of  the  average  modern  Evan- 
gelical, who  holds  the  Protestant  posi- 
tion, and  assails  the  Chu?rh  and  Rea- 
son in  the  interest  of  the  authority  of 
Scripture.  But  the  average  opinion 
of  the  Christian  world  would  not  as- 
sign him  a  higher  place  in  the  king- 
dom of  God  than  Martineau  or  New- 
man. May  we  not  conclude,  on  the 
whole,  that  these  three  representative 
Christians  of  our  time,  living  in  or 
near  the  world's  juetropolis,  have,  each 
in  his  way,  found  God  and  rested  on 
divine  authority  ? 


Exhibit  II.— CONFESSION. 

CHAPTER  I. 

OF  THE  HOLY  SCRIPTURE. 

Although  the  light  of  nature,  and 
the  works  of  creation  and  provi- 
dence, do  so  far  manifest  the  good- 
ness,'wisdom,  and  power  of  God, 
as  to  leave  men  inexcusable  ;  yet 
are  they  not  sufficient  to  give  that 
Itnowledge  of  God,  and  of  His  will, 
which  is  necessary  unto  salvation  ; 
therefore  it  pleased  the  Lord,  at  sun- 
dry times,  and  in  divers  manners, 
to  reveal  Himself,  and  to  declare 
that  His  will   unto  his  church  ;  and 


Exhibit  II.— ADDRESS. 

Pages  34-36. 
(4.)  Inerrancy. — The  fourth  bar- 
rier set  up  by  theologians  to  keep 
men  away  from  the  Bible  is  the 
dogma  of  inerrancy  of  Scripture. 
This  barrier  confronts  Historical 
Criticism.  It  is  not  a  pleasant  task 
to  point  out  errors  in  the  sacred 
Scriptures.  Nevertheless  Histori- 
cal Criticism  finds  them,  and  we 
must  meet  the  issue  whether  they 
destroy  the  authority  of  the  Bible 
or  not.  It  has  been  taught  in  recent 
years,  and  is  still  taught  by  some 
theologians,  that  one   proved  error 


11 


afterwards  for  the  better  preserving 
and  propagating  of  the  truth,  and 
for  the  more  sure  establishment  and 
comfort  of  the  Church  against  the 
corruption  of  the  flesh,  and  the 
malice  of  Satan  and  of  the  world, 
to  commit  the  same  'wholly  unto  ivrit'uig; 
which  maketh  the  Holy  Scripture  to 
be  most  necessary;  those  former 
ways  of  God's  revealing  His  will 
unto  His  people  being  now  ceased. 
II.  Under  the  name  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture, or  the  luord  of  God  written,  are 
now  contained  all  the  books  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testament,  which  are 
these  : 

Of  the  Old  Testament. 


Genesis. 

Ecclesiastes. 

Exodus. 

The  Song  of  Songs. 

Leviticus. 

Isaiah. 

Numbers. 

Jeremiah. 

Deuteronomy.  Lamentations. 

Joshua.  EzekieL 

Judges.  Daniel. 

Ruth.  Hosea. 

Samuel,  L  JoeL 

Samuel,  IL  Amos. 

Kings,  L  Obadiah. 

Kings,  IL  Jonah. 

Chronicles,  L  Micah. 

Chronicles,  IL  Nahum. 

Ezra.  Habakkuk. 

Xehemiah.  Zephaniah. 

Esther.  Haggai. 

Job.  Zechariah. 

Psalms.  Malachi. 
Proverbs. 

Ok  the  New  Testa.me.st. 
TheGospelsaccord-        Thessalonians,  II. 

ing  to  To  Timothy,  I. 

Matthew.  To  Timothy,  II. 

Mark.  To  Titus. 

Luke.  To  Philemon. 

John.  The  Epistle  to   the 

The   Acts  of   the  Hebrews. 

Apostles.  The    Epistle,  of 

Paul's  Epistles  to  James. 

the  Romans.  The  first, and  second 

Corinthians,  I.  Epistles  of  Peter. 

Corinthians,  II.  The  first. second  and 

Galatians.  third    EpisUes  of 

Ephesians.  John. 


destroys  the  authority  of  Scripture. 
/  shall  ventuir  to  affirm  that,  so  far 
as  I  can  see,  there  are  errors  in  the 
Scriptures  that  no  one  has  been  able  to 
explain  away ;  and  the  theory  that 
they  were  not  in  the  original  text  is 
sheer  assumption,  upon  which  no 
mind  can  rest  with  certainty.  If  such 
errors  destroy  the  authority  of  the 
Bible,  it  is  already  destroyed  for 
historians.  Men  cannot  shut  their 
eyes  to  truth  and  fact.  But  on  what 
authority  do  these  theologians  drive 
men  from  the  Bible  by  this  theory  of 
inerrancy  ?  The  Bible  itself  nowhere 
makes  this  claim.  The  creeds  of  the 
Church  nowhere  sanction  it.  It  is  a 
ghost  of  modem  evangelicalism  to 
frighten  children.  The  Bible  has 
maintained  its  authority  with  the 
best  scholars  of  our  time,  who  with 
open  minds  have  been  willing  to 
recognize  any  error  that  might  be 
pointed  out  by  Historical  Criticism  ; 
for  these  errors  are  all  in  the  cir- 
cumstantials and  not  in  the  essen- 
tials ;  they  are  in  the  human  setting, 
not  in  the  precious  jewel  itself; 
they  are  found  in  that  section  of  the 
Bible  that  theologians  commonly 
account  for  from  the  providential 
superintendence  of  the  mind  of  the 
author,  as  distinguished  from  divine 
revelation  itself.  It  may  be  that 
this  providential  superintendence 
gives  infallible  guidance  in  every 
particular ;  and  it  may  be  that  it 
differs  but  little,  if  at  all,  from  the 
providential  superintendence  of  the 
fathers  and  schoolmen  and  theo- 
logians of  the  Christian  Church. 
It  is  not  important  for  our  purpose 
that  we  should  decide  (his  question. 
If  we  should  abandon  the  whole 
field  of  providential  superintend- 
ence so  far  as  inspiration  and  divine 


12 


The  Epistle  of  Jude. 
The  Revelation. 


Philippians. 
Colossians. 
Thessalonians,  I. 


A II  which  are  given  by  inspiration 
of  God,  to  be  the  rule  of  faith  and 
life. 

III.  The  books  commonly  called 
Apocrypha,  not  being  of  divine  in- 
spiration,  are  no  part  of  the  canon  of 
the  Scripture ;  and  therefore  are  of 
no  authority  in  the  Church  of  God, 
nor  to  be  any  otherwise  approved, 
or  made  use  of,  than  other  human 
writings. 

IV.  The  authority  of  the  Holy 
Scripture,  for  which  it  ought  to  be 
believed  and  obeyed,  dependeth  no 
upon  the  testimony  of  any  man  or 
church,  btit  wholly  upon  God  {who  is 
truth  itself),  the  author  thereof ;  and 
therefore  it  is  to  be  received,  because 
it  is  the  word  of  God. 

V.  We  maybe  moved  and  induced 
by  the  testimony  of  the  church  to  an 
high  and  reverent  esteem  for  the 
Holy  Scripture;  and  the  heavenli- 
ness  of  the  matter,  the  efficacy  cf  the 
doctrine,  the  majesty  of  the  style, 
the  consent  of  all  the  parts,  the 
scope  of  the  whole  (which  is  to 
give  all  glory  to  God),  the  full  dis- 
covery it  makes  of  the  only  way  of 
man's  salvation,  the  many  other  in- 
comparable excellencies,  and  the 
entire  perfection  thereof,  are  argu- 
ments whereby  it  doth  abundantly 
evidence  itself  to  be  the  word  of 
God ;  yet,  notwithstanding,  our  full 

persuasion  and  assurance  of  the  infal- 
lible truth,  attddivitie  authority  thereof, 
is  from  the  inward  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  bearing  witness  by  and 
with  the  word  in  our  hearts. 

VI.  The  whole  counsel  of  God,  con- 
cerning all  things  necessary  for  his 
own  glory,   man's    salvation,    faith, 


authority  are  concerned,  and  limit 
divine  inspiration  and  authority  to 
the  essential  contents  of  the  Bible, 
to  its  religion,  faith,  and  morals, 
we  would  still  have  ample  room  to 
seek  divine  authorit)'  where  alone  it 
is  essential,  or  even  important,  in 
the  teaching  that  guides  our  devo- 
tions, our  thinking,  and  our  eon- 
duct. 


13 


and  life,  is  either  expressly  set  down 
in  Scripture,  or  by  good  and  necessary 
consequence  tnay  be  deduced  from  Scrip- 
ture :  unto  which  nothing  at  any  time 
is  to  be  added,  whether  by  new  revela- 
tions of  the  Spirit,  or  traditions  of 
men.  Nevertheless  we  acknowledge 
the  inward  illumination  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  to  be  necessary  for  the 
saving  understanding  of  such  things 
as  are  revealed  in  the  word  ;  and 
that  there  are  some  circumstances 
concerning  the  worship  of  God,  and 
government  of  the  church,  common 
to  human  actions  and  societies, 
which  are  to  be  ordered  by  the  light 
of  nature  and  Christian  prudence, 
according  to  the  general  rules  of  the 
word,  which  are  always  to  be  ob- 
served. 

VII.  All  things  in  Scripture  are 
not  alike  plain  in  themselves,  nor 
alike  clear  unto  all  ;  yet  those  things 
which  are  necessary  to  be  known, 
believed,  and  observed,  for  salva- 
tion, are  so  clearly  propounded  and 
opened  in  some  place  of  Scripture 
or  other,  that  not  only  the  learned, 
but  the  unlearned,  in  a  due  use  of 
the  ordinary  means,  may  attain  unto 
a  sufficient  understanding  of  them. 

VIII.  The  Old  Testa >uent  in  He- 
brew, (which  was  the  native  lan- 
guage of  the  people  of  God  of  old,) 
and  the  New  Testament  in  Greek, 
(which  at  the  time  of  the  writing  of 
it  was  most  generally  known  to  the 
nations,)  being  immediately  in- 
spired by  God,  and  by  his  singular 
care  and  providence,  kept  pure  in 
all  ages,  are  therefore  aut/txtttical ; 
so  as  in  all  controversies  of  teligion  the 
church  is  finally  to  appeal  unto  them. 
But  because  these  original  tongues 
are  not  known  to  all  the  people  of 
God  who  have  right  unto,  and  inter- 


u 


est  in  the  Scriptures,  and  are  com- 
manded, in  the  fear  of  God,  to  read 
and  search  them,  therefore  they  are 
to  be  translated  into  the  vulgar  lan- 
guage of  every  nation  unto  which 
they  come,  that  the  word  of  God 
dwelling  plentifully  in  all,  they  may 
worship  Him  in  an  acceptable  man- 
ner, and,  through  patience  and  com- 
fort of  the  Scriptures,  may  have 
hope. 

IX.  The  infallible  rule  of  inter- 
pretation of  Scripture,  is  the  Scrip- 
ture itself;  and  therefore,  when 
there  is  a  question  about  the  true 
and  full  sense  of  any  scripture 
(which  is  not  manifold,  but  one),  it 
ma}' be  searched  and  known  b)' other 
places  that  speak  more  clearly. 

X.  The  Supreme  Judge,  by  which 
all  controversies  of  religion  are  to 
be  determined,  and  all  decrees  of 
councils,  opinions  of  ancient  writers, 
doctrines  of  men,  and  private  spir- 
its, are  to  be  examined,  and  in 
whose  sentence  we  are  to  rest,  can 
be  no  other  but  the  Holy  Spirit 
speaking  in  the  Scripture. 


Exhibit  III.— CONFESSION. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

OF    SANCTIFICATION. 

They  who  arc  effectually  called 
and  regenerated,  having  a  new  heart 
and  a  new  spirit  created  in  them, 
are  further  sanctified,  really  and 
personally,  through  the  virtue  of 
Christ's  death  and  resurrection,  by 
His  word  and  Spirit  dwelling  in 
them  ;  the  dominion  of  the  whole 
body  of  sin  is  destroyed,  and  the 
several  lusts  thereof  are  more  and 
more  weakened   and   mortified,  and 


Exhibit  III.— ADDRESS. 

Pages  53-55. 
(c.)  Another  fault  of  Protestant  the- 
ology is  in  its  limitation  of  the  process 
of  redemption  to  this  world,  and  its 
neglect  of  those  vast  periods  of  time 
which  have  elapsed  for  most  men  in 
the  Middle  State  between  death  and 
the  resurrection.  The  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church  is  firmer  here,  though  it 
smears  the  Biblical  doctrine  with  not 
a  few  hurtful  errors.  The  reaction 
against  this  limitation,  as  seen  in  the 
theory  of  second  probation,  is  not  sur- 
prising.    I  do  not  find  this  doctrine 


16 


they  more  and  more  quickened  and 
strengthened,  in  all  saving  graces, 
to  tlie  practice  of  true  holiness, 
without  which  no  man  shall  see  the 
Lord. 

II.  This  sanctification  is  through- 
out in  the  whole  man,  yet  imperfect 
in  this  life  :  there  abideth  still  some 
remnants  of  corruption  in  every 
part,  whence  ariseth  a  continual 
and  irreconcilable  war,  the  flesh 
lusting  against  the  Spirit,  and  the 
Spirit  against  the  flesh. 

III.  In  which  war,  although  the 
remaining  corruption  for  a  time 
mav  much  prevail,  yet,  through  the 
continual  supply  of  strength  from 
the  sanctifying  Spirit  of  Christ,  the 
regenerate  part  doth  overcome  :  and 
so  the  saints  grow  in  grace,  perfect- 
ing holiness  in  the  fear  of  God. 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

OF  THE  STATE  OF  MAN  AFTER  DEATH, 

AND  OF  THE  RESURRECTION  OF  THE 

DEAD. 

The  bodies  of  men,  after  death,  re- 
turn to  dust,  and  see  corruption  ;  hut 
their  souls  {which  neither  die  nor 
sleep),  having  an  immoital  subsistence, 
immediately  return  to  God  ivho  gave 
them.  The  souls  of  the  righteous, 
being  then  made  perfect  in  holiness, 
are  received  into  the  highest  heavens, 
where  they  behold  the  face  of  God  in 
light  and  glory,  waiting  for  the  full 
redemption  of  their  bodies  :  and  the 
souls  of  the  wicked  are  cast  into  hell, 
where  they  remain  in  torments  and 
utter  darkness,  reserved  to  the  judg- 
m  nt  of  the  great  day.  Besides  these 
two  places  for  souls  separated  from 
their  bodies,  the  Scripture  acknoivl- 
edgeth  none. 

II.  At  the  last  day,  such  as  are 
found    alive   shall   not   die,   but    be 


in  the  Bible,  but  I  do  find  in  the 
Bible  the  doctrineof  a  Middle  Slate 
of  conscious  higher  life  in  the  com- 
munion with  Christ  and  the  multi- 
tude of  the  departed  of  all  ages  ; 
and  of  the  necessity  of  entire  sanc- 
tification, in  order  that  the  work 
of  redemption  may  be  completed. 
There  is  no  authority  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, or  in  the  creeds  of  Christendom, 
for  the  doctrine  of  immediate  sanctifi- 
cation at  death.  The  only  sanctifica- 
tion known  to  experience,  to  Christian 
orthodoxy,  and  to  the  Bible,  is  progres- 
sive sanctification.  Progressive  sanc- 
lification  after  death,  is  the  doctrine 
of  the  Bible  and  the  Church  ;  and  it  is 
of  vast  importance  in  our  times  that 
we  should  understand  it,  and  live  in 
accordance  with  it.  The  bugbear  of  a 
judgment  immediately  after  death,  and 
the  illusion  of  a  magical  transforma- 
tion in  the  dying  hour  should  be  ban- 
ished from  the  world.  They  are  conceits 
derived  from  the  Ethnic  religions,  and 
without  basis  in  the  Bible  or  Christian 
experience  as  expressed  in  the  symbols 
of  the  Church.  The  former  makes 
death  a  terror  to  the  best  of  men,  the 
latter  makes  human  life  and  experience 
of  no  effect ;  and  both  cut  the  nerves 
of  Christian  activity  and  striving  after 
sanctification.  Renouncing  them  as 
hurtful,  unchristian  errors,  we  look 
zvith  hope  and  Joy  for  the  continuation 
of  the  processes  of  grace,  and  the  7uon- 
ders  of  redemption  in  the  company  of 
the  blessed,  to  'which  the  faithful  are 
all  hastening  ;  and  through  these  bless- 
ed hopes  7('e  enter  into  the  communion 
of  all  saints,  and  have  a  happy  con- 
sciousness of  the  one  holy  catholic 
Church,  whose  center  and  majestic 
frame  are  chiefly  in  the  skies,  the  one 
body  of  the  one  Christ. 

The  salvation  of  the  world  can  only 


16 


changed  ;  and  all  the  dead  shall  be 
raised  up  with  the  self-same  bod- 
ies, and  none  other,  although  with 
different  qualities,  which  shall  be 
united  again  to  their  souls  for  ever. 
III.  The  bodies  of  the  unjust 
shall,  by  the  power  of  Christ,  be 
raised  to  dishonor  ;  the  bodies  of 
the  just,  by  His  Spirit,  unto  honor, 
and  be  made  conformable  to  His 
own  glorious  body. 


mean  the  world  as  a  whole,  compared 
with  which  the  unredeemed  will  be  so 
fetv  and  insignificant,  and  evidently 
beyond  the  reach  of  redemption  by  their 
07vn  act  of  rejecting  it  and  hardening 
themselves  against  it,  and  by  descend- 
ing into  such  depths  of  demoniacal  de- 
pravity in  the  Middle  State,  that  they 
will  vanish  from  the  sight  of  the 
redeemed  as  altogether  and  irredeem- 
ably evil,  and  never  more  disturb  the 
harmonies  of  the  saints. 


